Justice for Philando & Alton

Our nation has woken up to yet another video of a Black man dying at the hands of police autoplaying in our social media feeds - and it feels like we're in a never-ending nightmare.

In Falcon Heights, MN, 32-year-old Philando Castile’s death by police was caught on video less than 24 hours after the police executed Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge. It's just as devastating, just as infuriating to wake up to this for the second day in a row. Just last Tuesday, Alton was selling CDs outside a local store, like he always does, when police arrived on the scene. The police tased him, held him down on the ground, and shot him in the chest and back. In the witness-recorded video, you can hear the officer shouting "If you f---ing move, I swear to God!"

“[Black] men, women and children are being executed by the police and there are no consequences.”

- Valerie Castile, Philando Castile’s Mother

Two years after Ferguson, police induced murders are continuing and our elected officials haven’t taken enough action to end state violence happening toward Black people. In fact, political officials have taken even more action to protect police from being held accountable for the violence they are inflicting on Black communities. Louisiana recently passed a Blue Lives Matter law that will allow people to be charged with hate crimes for conflicts with police.

This year, police have killed 561 people so far. Why do we need laws that will enable them to kill Black people even more?

The FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division will be leading an independent investigation into Alton Sterling’s murder and Gov. Mark Drayton has called for their intervention in Philando Castile's case--we need to make sure they bring charges and hold these murderous cops accountable.

Will you stand with us and call for the DOJ to bring charges on Philando and Alton’s killer cops and to open an investigation into Philando’s death, in addition to the one they have already began for Alton?

Here is the letter we will send to Attorney General Loretta Lynch on your behalf:

Dear Attorney General Lynch,

I am writing to urge you and the Department of Justice to bring charges against the Baton Rouge police officers who killed Alton Sterling as well as Falcon Heights police officers who killed Philando Castile. Over and over again, we have been forced to witness the killings of Black people on video without any accountability. Local prosecutors have proven to be almost completely opposed to bringing charges against police. Now that the Department of Justice is leading the investigation, you have the authority to swiftly resolve this tragedy by prosecuting the officers who treated Alton Sterling and Philando Castile's life with such disregard.

Both you and President Obama have repeatedly emphasized the need to build trust between police and communities but how can Black communities trust law enforcement when even the worst police killings don't result in any consequences for officers. Please make the right choice and bring charges against these officers.